Hello Farmer Friends!
February 4th marks Farmer’s Day—a time to honor those who cultivate the land and nourish communities. In Taiwan and China, it aligns with the start of spring, symbolizing renewal and abundance. Many countries observe Farmer’s Day annually, recognizing the essential role of farmers in sustaining life.
At this year’s Eco-Farm and the Red Acre Center's Utah Food and Farm Conferences, a powerful conversation emerged: What does it truly mean to be a farmer today? As industrial agriculture expands and small farms face growing challenges, it’s more important than ever to reclaim the essence of our work. The reflections that follow capture the voices of fellow farmers—those who are redefining, reviving, and calling others to join this essential vocation.
Thank you, fellow farmers, for your dedication to farming! May these thoughts inspire you in your work and help you share the calling of farming with both the young and the old.
Let’s dig in!
Farmer Karl, Eden Streets
Farming - A Calling
Farming is more than an occupation; it is a calling, a way of life, and an act of devotion. To be a farmer is to embrace the rhythms of nature, to become a steward of the land, and to dedicate oneself to the nourishment of both body and soul. It is a life of sacrifice, but also one of deep fulfillment, connection, and purpose.
Caretakers of the Earth
A farmer is not merely someone who grows food; they are caretakers of the Earth, tending to the soil with the same love and patience one would extend to a child. They understand that plants communicate, that flowers are medicines for the soul, and that the act of growing is an expression of love and grace. To farm is to engage in an intimate relationship with the land, listening with a different kind of hearing, feeling the pull of Nature, and honoring the sacred balance that sustains life.
Cultivating Relationships
To grow food is to wield one of the greatest powers—the ability to feed oneself and others. This power is not wielded for personal gain, but for the good of the community. Farming is not simply about producing crops; it is about cultivating relationships, fostering connection, and creating an agricultural system that aligns with nature rather than exploits it. A farm is a sanctuary, a place where energies from past stewards remain, where compost breathes life back into the soil, and where the farmer’s own vitality is intertwined with the land’s.
In Harmony with Nature
The work of the modern farmer is both ancient and revolutionary. It is a commitment to regenerating the soil, calling carbon back into the land, and ensuring that future generations inherit a world rich with life. Farmers enhance the vitality of the Earth, conserving resources and honoring the natural cycles of growth and decay. They recognize that agriculture is one of humanity’s greatest experiments and that its success is dependent on a harmonious relationship with Nature.
An Expression of Love
A farmer is an artist, an athlete, an explorer, and a healer. Their work is an art form, a pure expression of intention and care. They cultivate not only crops but also consciousness, understanding that when we feed people, we love them, and in that love, we all grow together. The flavors and smells a farmer creates make savory memories, a reminder of the beauty that emerges from dedication and discipline.
Showing up Every Day
Farming is true freedom. It is the ability to sustain oneself and one’s family, to provide abundance for the community, and to build a life rooted in self-reliance and sovereignty. It is a lifestyle that demands resilience, faith, and patience. To be a farmer is to show up every day, regardless of the hardships, believing that dedication will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.
Engendering More Life
A farmer is a teacher, imparting knowledge about food, soil, and sustainability. They are a healer, proving that food is medicine and that the simple act of placing hands in the soil has the power to restore and renew. They are a bridge between heaven and Earth, understanding that the land does not belong to them but to the generations yet to come.
There is honor in this work. There is beauty in waking each morning with the question: how can I engender more life today? Farming is not just about producing food; it is about showing up for the people we love, about protecting the Earth and providing for a healthy future. It is about listening to Nature, respecting her wisdom, and being humbled by her power. It is about growing oneself in the same way one nurtures a seed—patiently, with care, and in harmony with the world around us.
Rising to the Call
Now is the time. We are the people. This is the place. The land needs to possess us, and in turn, let us honor and revel in the work of farming. To farm is to embrace abundance, to cultivate a regenerative economy, and to foster a world where food connects, where cooking together builds community, and where love flows from the Earth to the hands that tend it. – Farming is a gift. It is a sacred responsibility. It is life-giving.
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Direct Quotes from Farmers
This blog was written based on these direct quotes recorded from both the 2025 Eco-Farm Conference and the Utah Farm & Food Conference. Many of these speak powerfully by themselves.
Farming
Farming is a calling and a sacrifice.
There is a wondrous beauty in being able to grow something and see it grow
Lets create an agriculture based on Nature
Farming is not my job; it’s my identity, my community of friends, my way of life.
Growing food is an expression of love, goodness, caring, and grace.
The greatest power of all is the ability to feed myself and then feed my community
The work of the modern farmer is to call the life-giving carbon back into the soil
Use farming to make people feel free
Farming is an active interaction with your land in which we accelerate the biological potential of your farm with water, seed, carbon or nitrogen, and growing crops. Manage the effective digestion of those crops to capture more of the indigenous potential.
Farming is enhancing the farm’s vitality and conserving the earth.
Farming is a way to connect with yourself and your ancestors
Farming is true freedom
Farming is an expression of love to grow for others
When you feed people you are loving them; When you love people, they grow in the way gardens do - we grow together
Plants speak to you in you will listen
Flowers are medicines to our souls
Farmer
Farmers are stewards of the land
Farmers are husbands of the Earth; stewards of the land
Farmers are community driven to be able to feed people and create community
Every farmer is an educator
A farmer is an athlete.
It’s not what we do but who we are
Farmers are essential health stewards
A farmer has the opportunity to create a world in his or her own image and likeness
Food and Health
Food is medicine
Let’s teach “food is medicine” so we all can thrive.
Growing a plant can be healing
Just putting your hands in the soil is so healing!
Reclaim food as a source of healing and relationship building with our community
Farm
A farm is a sanctuary.
Calling
Bill Mollison - “There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing the natural world, and train all our young people to help. They want to; we need to give them this last chance to create forests, soils, clean waters, clean energies, secure communities, stable regions, and to know how to do it from hands-on experience.”
Grow yourself like you would the plant
Tell our stories and the magic that happens on the farm
Farming Lifestyle
When song, ceremony, and dancing stops, so does the earth.
Dance, celebrate, play, and laugh together on the farm
Be a bringer of joy
Keep a sense of love and laughter in all we do
Let’s not forget the miracle of birth and the wonder of life
Look for the helpers who can teach me
Growing food is a great teacher
The way we treat or siblings is the way we treat Mother Earth
Acknowledge the stories of spaces we occupy
I can change a person’s day be sharing delicious food
Come to the farm to experience abundance in relationships, love, and possibility.
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